The Washington Commanders will take on the Dallas Cowboys at Northwestern Stadium in Landover, Maryland, in one of three NFL games on Christmas Day.
The Commanders will lose backup quarterback Marcus Mariota and Josh Johnson will be backed up by Jeff Drickell. Without Mariota, the Commander’s offense becomes one-dimensional and easy to defend.
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This is a bragging game as both teams have been eliminated from the playoffs. This is a divisional game, though, and both teams want to win. Anything can happen in the divisional round, and this one is no exception, which is why there are still valuable players in fantasy football leagues.
If you’ve made it this far into the fantasy football season, congratulations. Here are some players who could start and play in Week 17 if you name any player on either team.
Starts with: QB Dak Prescott
Commanders allowed the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks in the entire league. Prescott is a solid quarterback with decent receivers, and he’ll face a commanding secondary that’s missing some key pieces. Prescott will likely be available against the Commanders on Christmas Day, making him a must-starter in that game.
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Sitting: WR Treylon Burks
Treylon Burks has seen an uptick in target numbers in recent weeks, but he’s not reliable enough to have fantasy value against the Cowboys this week. If Marcus Mariota takes the field, he will target Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel. If Josh Johnson starts, he could target Burks, but they didn’t have much success last week. Don’t expect too much from the Burks in Week 17.
Starts with: RB Javonte Williams
Williams is currently questionable with a neck injury, and with the Cowboys out of the playoff picture, he may not be able to suit up, so keep an eye on it. He did have a limited practice on Tuesday, and if he returns Thursday, he’ll face a defense that ranks 28th in the league in play-calling and allows the fourth-most fantasy points to running backs. If he’s healthy enough to play, he’s a must-start player.
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Sitting: RB Jeremy McNichols
Although the Commanders currently rely on the ground game, McNichols is not a viable option at running back this week. Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jacory Croskey-Merritt are the Commanders’ two top running backs, and while McNichols has the ability to do both on the ground and in the air, he doesn’t get the same touches as the other two backs, and he rarely finds the end zone.
Sleeper: RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt
The Cowboys actually allowed more points to wide receivers than running backs, but they still ranked sixth in the NFL in points allowed to running backs. The only way the Commanders’ wide receivers have any fantasy value is if Marcus Mariota plays. If he doesn’t, the Commanders will rely heavily on the ground game. That means Wild Bill and Chris Rodriguez Jr. will get plenty of touches. Kroski-Merritt has scored in each of the last two games and could be in for a big game if the Commanders are forced to keep the ball on the ground.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Week 17 fantasy starters/sits vs. Dallas Cowboys